Objectives Pain is often overlooked in genetic muscle disease, despite there being large studies showing that pain may affect over two thirds of such patients, and is often manageable. We set out to discover how prevalent pain is in New Zealand patients with these conditions and how it affected their quality of life, participation in society and use of public health resources. Methods In 2015–2016, a national study called MD-Prev of the frequency and impact of genetically determined muscle disease, was undertaken in New Zealand. 964 patients were ascertained. All participants were offered a chance to answer questionnaires regarding their condition and its impact on their lives and functioning. Results Five-hundred and ninety eight of the 964 (62%) patients agreed to participate and were able to fill in the questionnaires. The most common conditions were myotonic dystrophy type 1, dystrophinopathies, facioscapulohumeral dystrophy (FSHD) and limb girdle muscular dystrophies (LGMD) affecting 35.6%, 19.5%, 12.8% and 9.6%, respectively. Pain was common in our patients affecting 61% overall. It was higher in LGMD (74.0%) and FSHD (69%) but somewhat lower in dystrophinopathies (62.5%) and myotonic dystrophy (58.7%). Pain scores (McGill Pain Questionnaire) were higher in FSHD and myotonic dystrophy than dystrophinopathies. Higher pain scores were associated with decreased QoL, decreased participation in society and greater use of the health system (p<0.05 for each). Conclusions Pain is a significant aspect of genetic muscle disease and treating it may lead to substantially better outcomes for patients.


Functional electrodes for batteries share a common design rule by which high electronic and ionic conductivity pathways must exist throughout the electrode in its pristine state. Notable amounts of conductive carbon additive in the composite electrode are usually included to form an electronically conductive matrix. However, excellent high rate cycling performance has been achieved in electrodes composed of the insulating Li4Ti5O12 without any conductive additives. This behavior opens the possibility of a new paradigm for designing functional electrodes by which high electronic conductivity in the pristine electrode is not required. The mechanism of operation that enables such unexpected electrochemical behavior is evaluated and discussed. Electronically conductive pathways due to the reduction of Ti4+ to Ti3+ form and percolate throughout the Li4Ti5O12 electrode in the early stage of Li insertion, eliminating the need for conductive additives. This work highlights the importance of the mass and charge transport properties of the intermediate states during cycling and of good interparticle ohmic contact in the electrode. This physical behavior can lead to novel system designs with improved battery utilization and energy density.


A century of change in the content of history teaching is traced, first in the elementary schools of England and Wales before World War II, then in the new creations of Primary Schools as the 1944 Education Act was implemented. Relatively rigid requirements of codes and regulations are seen to determine the content of the early period, whilst suggestions and guidance characterize the second, bringing new methods and approaches to the subject. The significance and value of stories in the learning process is investigated, and extended to the teaching of history exploring relevant themes. As case-studies, the short historical stories in three of the several books written by Eileen and Rhoda Power are critically analysed for their place, value and significance with comparative evidence from teachers and children. The conclusion reached is that stories are worthy of inclusion in the primary curriculum and that historical fiction in its own right deserves to be read because it makes a statement about life. Through fictional literature it is possible to enrich and extend personal experiences by empathetic understanding of the past.


Optimal heuristic search has been successful in many domains where the cost of each action can easily be obtained. However, in many problems, the exact edge cost is expensive to compute. Existing search algorithms face a significant performance bottleneck, due to an excessive overhead associated with dynamically calculating exact edge costs. We present DEA*, an algorithm for problems with expensive edge cost computations. DEA* combines heuristic edge cost evaluations with delayed node expansions, reducing the number of exact edge computations. We formally prove that DEA* is optimal and it is efficient with respect to the number of exact edge cost computations. We empirically evaluate DEA* on multiple-worker routing problems where the exact edge cost is calculated by invoking an external multi-modal journey planning engine. The results demonstrate the effectiveness of our ideas in reducing the computational time and improving the solving ability. In addition, we show the advantages of DEA* in domain-independent planning, where we simulate that accurate edge costs are expensive to compute.


Leprosy, the tragically dreaded, disfiguring, and mutilating disease, one of the oldest afflictions exclusively of mankind, is a contagious wasting constitutional disordercaused by the acid-fast Mycobacterium leprae, first described by Hansen in 1874 (Fig. 1). Both from the clinical and histopathological points of view, the manifestations of leprosy may be varied. The classification which divides the disease into three distinct types—the lepromatous (malignant or gravis), the tuberculoid (benign or mitis), and the indeterminate (undifferentiated) — is being used at our leprosarium, and we will adhere to it throughout this presentation. Histopathology In the lepromatous type the lesions are characterized by the presence of diffuse infiltration of the skin and nerves with vacuolated large mononuclear cells, or "lepra cells" (Figs. 2 and 3). In some of the viscera there may appear small groups of them as miliary lepromata. Bacilli are numerous within these cells, and in tissue spaces known as "globi."


The better models of e-Gov posit high levels of informational communication between citizen and state. Unfortunately, in one area, that communication has traditionally been poor: that is, access to sources of law. There have been a number of reasons for this, but a primary one has been that law was historically mediated for the citizen by the legal profession. This situation is changing with ever increasing numbers of unrepresented litigants being involved at all levels of national court systems in each and every country as well as a generally higher level of intrusion of legislation into everyday home and business life.

There have been attempts to improve access through internet based services, but these have improved communication ('understanding of law') to only a limited extent. It may be time, this article suggests, to consider re-engineering legal sources so that they better fit the needs of eGov.


The land snail fauna of the Mut District was surveyed during the spring (April-May) of 2008. A total of 31 species and subspecies-9 (29%) of them endemics-belonging to 26 genera and 14 families were determined from 41 localities. Dominant families were Enidae, Orculidae, and Hygromiidae. Humidity, vegetation, and habitat type were the determinants of species richness in the study area. Species composition, according to cluster and multivariate analyses, was also found to be affected by the altitude factor.


Served as the primary form of joints in aluminum structures, the bolted connection is of great necessity to be investigated. The bearing performance of aluminum alloy bolted connections was evaluated by test and finite element (FE) analysis. A total of 20 bolted connections were tested and the varying parameters incorporated screw diameter and end distance. The test results included the ultimate bearing capacities and relationship between applied load and bolt hole deformation. Numerical simulation for the test process was implemented; thereupon reliability and accuracy of the FE models could be validated by good agreement with test results. By virtue of the verified numerical model, elaborated analysis of principle variables including inner and outer plies, end distance, screw diameter, sheet thickness and so on was carried out. Compared to the current overly conservative design rules, a new design method that could make full use of the bearing capacity was proposed. The corresponding design value of bearing strength was also presented with reference to the recommended constructional provisions.


Small aerial vehicles such as quad-rotors have been widely used commercially, for research and for hobby for the last decade with use still growing. The high interest is mainly due to the vehicles being small, simple, cheap and versatile.Among rigid body dynamics fast dynamics exist cohering to motors and other fast actuators. A linear quadratic control design technique is here investigated. The design technique suggests that the linear quadratic controller can be designed with penalties on the slow states only. The fast dynamics are modeled but the states are not penalised in the linear quadratic design. The design technique is here applied and evaluated. The results show that this in several cases is a suitable design technique for linear quadratic control design.MATLAB and Simulink have been widely used for design and implementation of control systems. With additional toolboxes these control systems can be compiled to and run on remote computers. Small, lightweight computers with high computational capacity are now easily accessible. In this thesis an avionics solution based on a small, powerful computer is presented. Simulink models can be compiled and transferred to the computer from the Simulink environment. The result is a user friendly way of rapid prototyping and evaluation of control systems.


[1] Variations of atmospheric CO2 at regional scales are becoming increasingly important in understanding regional carbon budgets, yet the processes that drive them remain relatively unexplored. A simulation was conducted to test a coupled biosphere-atmospheric model (SiB2-RAMS), by comparing with measurements made at the WLEF-TV tower in Wisconsin, and to investigate some of the mechanisms leading to CO2 variability, both on local and regional scales. The simulation was run for a 5-day period from 26 to 30 July 1997. Multiple nested grids were employed, which enabled mesoscale features to be simulated and which resolved small-scale features in the vicinity of the WLEF tower. In many respects the model was successful at simulating observed meteorological variables and CO2 fluxes and concentrations. The two most significant deficiencies were that excessive nighttime cooling occurred on two of the nights and that late afternoon uptake of CO2 was larger than observed. Results of the simulation suggest that in addition to biological processes causing variations in CO2 concentrations at the WLEF site other factors, such as small nearby lakes, turbulence induced by vertical wind shear, boundary layer thermals, and clouds, also had significant impacts. These factors add to the difficulty of interpreting CO2 measurements. Regional-scale patterns of CO2 variability caused by meteorological processes were also identified. Katabatic winds had a significant effect by causing respired CO2 to pool in valleys and along the shores of the Great Lakes during the night. Furthermore, a large diurnal cycle of CO2 concentration occurred over the lakes, which appeared to be mainly due to the combined action of katabatic winds, ambient winds, and the lake breeze circulation. These results suggest that meteorological processes associated with the complex terrain in this region leads to substantial CO2 advection. Therefore meteorological as well as biological processes are likely to be important causes of regional-scale CO2 variability in the Great Lakes region. A sensitivity test conducted to examine the differences between using a turbulent kinetic energy based subgrid-scale scheme versus a deformation-type subgrid-scale scheme showed advantages and disadvantages to both approaches. Our results suggest that continuous records of CO2 variability measured over heterogeneous continental regions must be interpreted with caution because of the impact of mesoscale circulations on the concentration time series.


This paper presents a methodology for optimal allocation of sensors in a multistation assembly process for the purpose of diagnosing in a timely manner variation sources that are responsible for product quality defects. A sensor system distributed in such a way can help manufacturers improve product quality while, at the same time, reducing process downtime. Traditional approaches in sensor optimization fall into two categories: multistation sensor allocation for the purpose of product inspection (rather than diagnosis); and allocation of sensors for the purpose of variation diagnosis but at a single measurement station. In our approach, sensing information from different measurement stations is integrated into a state-space model and the effectiveness of a distributed sensor system is quantified by a diagnosability index. This index is further studied in terms of variation transmissibility between stations as well as variation detectability at individual stations. Based on an understanding of the mechanism of variation propagation, we develop a backward-propagation strategy to determine the locations of measurement stations and the minimum number of sensors needed to achieve full diagnosability. An assembly example illustrates the methodology.


By analyzing numerically simulated solar oscillation data we study the influence of nonuniform distribution of acoustic wave amplitude, acoustic source strength, and perturbations of the sound speed on the shifts of acoustic travel times measured by the time-distance helioseismology method. It is found that for short distances, the contribution to the mean travel-time shift caused by nonuniform distribution of acoustic sources in sunspots may be comparable to (but smaller than) the contribution from the sound-speed perturbation in sunspots, and that it has the opposite sign to the sound-speed effect. This effect may cause some underestimation of the negative sound-speed perturbations in sunspots just below the surface, which was found in previous time-distance helioseismology inferences. This effect cannot be corrected by artificially increasing the amplitude of oscillations in sunspots. For large time-distance annuli, the nonuniform distribution of wavefields does not have significant effects on the mean travel times, and thus the sound-speed inversion results. The measured travel-time differences, which are used to determine the mass flows beneath sunspots, can also be systematically shifted by this effect, but only by an insignificant magnitude.


Abstract After its initial definition in 1999, the TCP family of transcription factors has become the focus of a multiplicity of studies related with plant development at the cellular, organ, and tissue levels. Evidence has accumulated indicating that TCP transcription factors are the main regulators of plant form and architecture and constitute a tool through which evolution shapes plant diversity. The TCP transcription factors act in a multiplicity of pathways related with cell proliferation and hormone responses. In recent years, the molecular pathways of TCP protein action and biochemical studies on their mode of interaction with DNA have begun to shed light on their mechanism of action. However, the available information is fragmented and a unifying view of TCP protein action is lacking, as well as detailed structural studies of the TCP-DNA complex. Also important, the possible role of TCP proteins as integrators of plant developmental responses to the environment has deserved little attention. In this review, we summarize the current knowledge about the structure and functions of TCP transcription factors and analyze future perspectives for the study of the role of these proteins and their use to modify plant development.


This overview will outline the current results of neuroscience research on the possible effects of digital media use on the human brain, cognition, and behavior. This is of importance due to the significant amount of time that individuals spend using digital media. Despite several positive aspects of digital media, which include the capability to effortlessly communicate with peers, even over a long distance, and their being used as training tools for students and the elderly, detrimental effects on our brains and minds have also been suggested. Neurological consequences have been observed related to internet/gaming addiction, language development, and processing of emotional signals. However, given that much of the neuroscientific research conducted up to now relies solely on self-reported parameters to assess social media usage, it is argued that neuroscientists need to include datasets with higher precision in terms of what is done on screens, for how long, and at what age.


Introduction Retraining the paretic upper limb after stroke should be intense and specific to be effective. Hence, the best training is daily life use, which is often limited by motivation and effort. Tracking and feedback technology have the potential to encourage self-administered, context-specific training of upper limb use in the patients' home environment. The aim of this study is to investigate post-intervention and long-term effects of a wrist-worn activity tracking device providing multimodal feedback on daily arm use in hemiparetic subjects beyond 3 months post-stroke. Methods and analysis A prospective, multi-center, assessor-blinded, Phase 2 randomized controlled trial with a superiority framework. Sixty-two stroke patients will be randomized in two groups with a 1:1 allocation ratio, stratified based on arm paresis severity (Fugl-Meyer Assessment—Upper Extremity subscale <32 and ≥32). The experimental group receives a wrist-worn activity tracking device providing multimodal feedback on daily arm use for 6 weeks. Controls wear an identical device providing no feedback. Sample size: 31 participants per group, based on a difference of 0.75±1.00 points on the Motor Activity Log—14 Item Version, Amount of Use subscale (MAL—14 AOU), 80% power, two-sided alpha of 0.05, and a 10% attrition rate. Outcomes: primary outcome is the change in patient-reported amount of daily life upper limb use (MAL—14 AOU) from baseline to post-intervention. Secondary outcomes are change in upper limb motor function, upper limb capacity, global disability, patient-reported quality of daily life upper limb use, and quality of life from baseline to post-intervention and 6-week follow-up, as well as compliance, activity counts, and safety. Discussion The results of this study will show the possible efficacy of a wrist-worn tracking and feedback device on patient-reported amount of daily life upper limb use. Ethics and dissemination The study is approved by the Cantonal Ethics Committees Zurich, and Northwest and Central Switzerland (BASEC-number 2017-00948) and registered in https://clinicaltrials.gov (NCT03294187) before recruitment started. This study will be carried out in compliance with the Declaration of Helsinki, ICH-GCP, ISO 14155:2011, and Swiss legal and regulatory requirements. Dissemination will include submission to a peer-reviewed journal, patient and healthcare professional magazines, and congress presentations.


The wind tunnel test is one important way to obtain the aerodynamic derivatives of aircrafts. These derivatives are necessary when the guidance and control systems of the aircraft are designed and when the dynamic quality of the aircraft is analyzed as well. The results of experiments of the static derivatives and dynamic derivatives of the aircraft in low-speed wind tunnels have revealed that there are some unavoidable drawbacks such as the interference of the streamline flow brought about by the strut in the traditional strut suspension system. A cable-mounted system is very suitable for experiments of the static derivatives of an aircraft, but it cannot be used in the experiments of dynamic derivatives. In order to use the same wire-driven parallel suspension system to realize the static and dynamic derivates experiments in low-speed wind tunnels, a survey of the research work addressed within the Wire-Driven Parallel Suspension Systems (WDPSS-8) project is presented in this paper. The results show that WDPSS-8 can be successfully used in experiments of static derivatives, and that it has potentiality to be used in experiments of dynamic derivatives. In the issues in the theoretical aspect the issues have been handled. However, much work should be done in the experimental aspects. The research outcomes of WDPSS-8 will help the Chinese set up Chinese brands in the field of wind tunnel tests of aircrafts.


The question of attitude control and elastic mode stabilization of a spacecraft (orbiter) with beam-tip-mass-type payloads is considered. A three-axis moment control law is derived to control the attitude of the spacecraft. The derivation of the control moments acting on the spacecraft does not require any information on the system dynamics. The control law includes a reference model and a dynamic compensator in the feedback path. For damping out the elastic motion excited by the slewing maneuver, an elastic mode stabilizer is designed. The stabilization is achieved by modal velocity feedback using force and torque actuators located at the payload end of the elastic beam. Collocated actuators and sensors provide robust stabilization. Simulation results are presented to show that rotational maneuvers and vibration stabilization can be accomplished in the closed-loop systems despite the presence of model uncertainty and disturbance torque in the system. >


The authors report three cases of arteriovenous malformations (AVM's) with aneurysms arising from the feeding artery; all were successfully treated with a new nonadhesive liquid embolic material, ethylene vinyl alcohol copolymer (EVAL). In two patients the AVM's were totally removed without difficulty, and in one the AVM was managed conservatively after embolization. No new neurological deficits appeared during or after embolization. After road-mapping techniques, EVAL was injected slowly until the feeding artery and aneurysm were completely obliterated. This embolic agent is easy to handle and is considered safe compared with other adhesive liquid embolic agents, such as isobutyl-2-cyanoacrylate or n-butyl cyanoacrylate. It is concluded that EVAL is an excellent agent for embolizing an AVM with a peripheral aneurysm on the feeding artery.


Research was undertaken to facilitate the breeding and selection of sorghums with both good milling and good porridge-making characteristics. Twenty seven cultivars were grown in the same locality under rainfed and sup- plementary irrigation conditions. The two measures of milling quality, abrasive hardness index and Brabender hardness (BH) were signi-cantly correlated (P O 0E001) in all sample sets; ie all data, rainfed samples and supplementary irrigation samples. The genetic basis of kernel hardness was con-rmed as the hardest and softest cultivars were the same under both cultivation conditions. For all three sample sets there was a signi-cant negative correlation (P O 0E05) between kernel hardness according to BH and pasting peak viscosity (PPV). PPV is of importance as consumers prefer sti† porridges. The negative corre- lation between BH and PPV indicates that to select sorghum cultivars with good milling and good porridge-making quality, both kernel hardness and PPV need to be assessed. The sorghums produced under supplementary irrigation were softer according to BH, had higher PPV and set-back viscosity, and the starch contained a higher proportion of amylose than those produced under rainfed conditions. Thus, cultivation environment as well as genetics has a major e†ect on sorghum milling and porridge-making quality.


Four experiments were directed at understanding the influence of multiple moving objects on curvilinear (i.e., circular and elliptical) heading perception. Displays simulated observer movement over a ground plane in the presence of moving objects depicted as transparent, opaque, or black cubes. Objects either moved parallel to or intersected the observer's path and either retreated from or approached the moving observer. Heading judgments were accurate and consistent across all conditions. The significance of these results for computational models of heading perception and for information in the global optic flow field about observer and object motion is discussed.


This study aims to compare parametric methods based on the item response theory in determining differential item and test functioning. To this end, it analyzes differential item and test functioning by using the comparison method for item parameters, the comparison method based on the likelihood ratio test, and the method to determine differential item and test functioning (DFIT) both at the item and test levels, and compares these three methods in terms of the data obtained. The study was conducted on the data on the Progress in International Reading Literacy 2001 (PIRLS-2001) tests. The results of the analyses indicated a differentiation between the results of differential item and test functioning, which were obtained using the methods in question.


We conducted a retrospective investigation of renal outcome in 329 patients with immunoglobulin A (IgA) nephropathy with an observation period longer than 36 months (82.3 +/- 38.2 months) in our renal unit between 1977 and 1995. Clinical remission, renal progression, and the impact of covariates were estimated by Kaplan-Meier analysis and a Cox regression model. In 157 of 329 patients (48%), disappearance of urinary abnormalities (clinical remission) was obtained. None of these 157 patients showed progressive deterioration, defined as a 50% increase in serum creatinine (Scr) level from baseline, during the observation period. Conversely, in patients without clinical remission, the Kaplan-Meier estimate of probability of progressive deterioration was 21% +/- 5% at 10 years. In the multivariate Cox regression model with 13 independent covariates, initial Scr level, histological score, tonsillectomy, and high-dose methylprednisolone therapy had a significant impact on clinical remission, whereas proteinuria, age, sex, levels of hematuria, blood pressure, conventional steroid therapy, angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor therapy, and cyclophosphamide therapy had no significant effect. These findings indicate that interventions aimed at achieving clinical remission have provided encouraging results applicable to managing patients with IgA nephropathy.


[Work in Progress] The proliferation of cloud computing and web-based technologies have made it possible for universities to expand their academic networks reaching a wider range of students. In an effort to expand offered services while reducing costs, universities began exploring the use of distributed software platforms and middleware infrastructures to make laboratories accessible over the Internet. However, there are major challenges in the way these platforms enable students to effectively interact with a remote laboratory environment. In this paper, we introduce a remotely-controlled middleware infrastructure called Lab-as-a-Service (LaaS) that is based on cloud computing and service-oriented architecture (SOA) concepts. LaaS aims at providing educators with the necessary tools to deploy course lab components over the Internet more efficiently while enabling students to productively complete lab material remotely. Throughout the paper, we discuss the overall architecture of LaaS, use cases and implementation details. We further use our LaaS framework to provide insights on improving the remote laboratory experience and interactive online learning models.


The present study examines the influence of focal condition, sentence mode and phrase boundary location on the most important prosodic features of German, syllable duration and F0 contour. A small corpus uttered by a single speaker was auditorily segmented and the F0 contours modeled using a quantitative model decomposing the contour into a sequence of tone switches. The correlation of these tone switches with changes of the accent syllable durations was examined. It was found that narrow focusing of an item boosts the tone switch at its word accent syllable whereas significant lengthening of this syllable was only observed in phrase-medial, but not in phrase-final position. In the latter case, instead of noticeable lenghtening of the word accent syllable, preceding items are being compressed . This indicates that the durational organisation of the phrase behaves in a different manner than the intonational one. Pre-phrase boundary syllables are lengtened for an average 60 % compared with phrase medial ones.


On 12 September, the European Commission together with the WHO organised a global summit aiming at reversing the spread of vaccine-preventable diseases and stopping the dissemination of vaccine misinformation. The event, which was also attended by a representative of the European Association of Hospital Pharmacists, discussed the availability of safe and effective vaccines, the lack of access, the problem of vaccine shortages, as well as the growing issue of misinformation and the diminishing public confidence in the value of vaccines.

The following actions were agreed on by the attendees of the summit:

1. Promote global political leadership and commitment to vaccination and build effective collaboration and partnerships—across international, national, regional and local levels with health authorities, health professionals, civil society, communities, scientists and industry—to protect everyone everywhere through sustained high vaccination coverage rates.

2. Ensure all countries have national immunisation strategies in place and implemented, and strengthen its financial sustainability, in line with progress towards universal health coverage, leaving no one behind.

3. Build strong surveillance systems for vaccine-preventable diseases, particularly those under global elimination and eradication targets.

4. Tackle the root causes of vaccine hesitancy, increasing confidence in vaccination, as well as designing and implementing evidence-based interventions.

5. Harness the power of digital technologies, so as to strengthen the monitoring of the performance of vaccination programmes.

6. Sustain research efforts to continuously generate data on the effectiveness and safety of vaccines and impact of vaccination programmes.

7. Continue efforts and investment, including novel models of funding and incentives, in research, development and innovation for new or improved vaccine and delivery devices.

8. Mitigate the risks of vaccine shortages through improved vaccine availability monitoring, forecasting, purchasing, delivery and stockpiling systems, and collaboration with producers and all participants in the distribution chain to make best use …


To the Editor.— The pharmacologic properties of amyl nitrite are well known: it acts specifically as a smooth muscle relaxant and vasodilator. 1 Side effects of its use include dizziness, headache, pain localized about the eyes, and transient elevation of intraocular pressure. Unlike drugs such as atropine or other belladonna-like agents which may precipitate an attack of acute angleclosure glaucoma, amyl nitrite does not pose this threat. We wish, however, to draw the attention of ophthalmologists to a new fad involving the use of amyl nitrite by teenagers and young adults to enhance and prolong the sexual experience. 2 Ampules are crushed and their contents inhaled immediately before sexual climax. There appears to be a time-expanding effect, possibly related to transient cerebral ischemia, which gives the user the illusion that orgasm lasts for an extended period of time. The use of amyl nitrite for enhancement of sexual pleasure may lead


To improve programming productivity, the right tools are crucial. This starts with the choice of the programming language, which often predetermines the libraries and frameworks one can use. Polyglot runtime environments, such as GraalVM, provide mechanisms for exchanging objects and sending messages across language boundaries, which allow developers to combine different languages, libraries, and frameworks with each other. However, polyglot application developers are obligated to properly use the right interfaces for accessing their data and objects from different languages. To reduce the mental complexity for developers and let them focus on the business logic, we introduce user-defined interface mappings - an approach for adapting cross-language messages at run-time to match an expected interface. Thereby, the translation strategies are defined in an exchangeable and easy-to-edit configuration file. Thus, different stakeholders ranging from library and framework developers up to application developers can use and extend these mappings for their needs.


During the cattle boom of the late nineteenth century, homesteaders at either end of the Great Plains raised livestock in conjunction with the cultivation of crops. In order to support their small herds of cattle, these individuals relied on unfettered access to grass and especially water, a resource in short supply on the semi-arid prairies of Texas and Alberta. Larger ranchers and cattle syndicates resented the challenge posed by the settlers and feared the competition for water and grass. Supported by officials in Austin and Ottawa--who favored rapid industrial development on the Plains--cattlemen seized control of the range by fencing pastures and water holes and evicting squatters. When homesteaders resisted this exclusion, government authorities dispatched their rural constabularies--the Texas Rangers and the North-West Mounted Police--to protect a closed but embattled range.


Human action recognition and annotation is an active research topic in computer vision. How to model various actions, varying with time resolution, visual appearance, and others, is a challenging task. In this paper, we propose a boosted exemplar learning (BEL) approach to model various actions in a weakly supervised manner, i.e., only action bag-level labels are provided but action instance level ones are not. The proposed BEL method can be summarized as three steps. First, for each action category, amount of class-specific candidate exemplars are learned through an optimization formulation considering their discrimination and co-occurrence. Second, each action bag is described as a set of similarities between its instances and candidate exemplars. Instead of simply using a heuristic distance measure, the similarities are decided by the exemplar-based classifiers through the multiple instance learning, in which a positive (or negative) video or image set is deemed as a positive (or negative) action bag and those frames similar to the given exemplar in Euclidean Space as action instances. Third, we formulate the selection of the most discriminative exemplars into a boosted feature selection framework and simultaneously obtain an action bag-based detector. Experimental results on two publicly available datasets: the KTH dataset and Weizmann dataset, demonstrate the validity and effectiveness of the proposed approach for action recognition. We also apply BEL to learn representations of actions by using images collected from the Web and use this knowledge to automatically annotate action in YouTube videos. Results are very impressive, which proves that the proposed algorithm is also practical in unconstraint environments.


Abnormal accumulation and aggregation of amyloid--peptide (A) eventually lead to the formation and cerebral deposition of amyloid plaques, the major pathological hallmark in Alzheimer's disease (AD). Oleuropein (OE), an Olea europaea L. derived polyphenol, exhibits a broad range of pharmacological properties, such as antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and antiatherogenic, which could serve as combative mechanisms against several reported pathways involved in the pathophysiology of AD. The reported noncovalent interaction between A and OE could imply a potential antiamyloidogenic role of the latter on the former via stabilization of its structure and prevention of the adaptation of a toxic -sheet conformation. The established -sheet conformation of the A hydrophobic carboxy-terminal region and the dependence of its toxicity and aggregational propensity on its secondary structure make the determination of the binding site between A and OE highly important for assessing the role of the interaction. In this study, two different proteolytic digestion protocols, in conjunction with high-sensitivity electrospray ionization mass spectrometric analysis of the resulting peptide fragments, were used to determine the noncovalent binding site of OE on A and revealed the critical regions for the interaction. (J Am Soc Mass Spectrom 2008, 19, 1078 –1085) © 2008 American Society for Mass Spectrometry


Abstract This paper explores the relationship between mobilities and emergencies, two concepts that have shared little of the same space in research and critical debate. Emergency is a relatively taken-for-granted part of the political administration of events, life and the production and governance of mobility. Equally, mobilities and immobilities occur in, because of, or through emergency. Some mobilities could certainly be understood as emergency because whether in flight or response, emergencies demand highly intensive forms of movement that radically transform one's life chances and quality of life. The paper suggests that particular sets of mobilities occur and are compelled under certain kinds of conditions and forms of governance wielded under emergency politics, its legislation and practices. The paper works to identify several related characteristics of emergency mobility that have begun to be explored within existing literatures, burgeoning areas of enquiry and more conceptual writings, before concluding with a discussion of the implications of these themes for a more modest and provisional understanding of mobilities, emergencies and their governance.


In medical sciences ,a case report means a comprehensive description of the symptoms ,signs, diagnosis , treatment, and follow-up of an individual patient. It may or may not contain a demographic profile of the patient, but generally depicts an unusual or novel manifestation. Case reports are basically professional chronicles that offer an important feedback on clinical practice guiding principle and offer an outline for early indicators of effectiveness, adverse events, and cost. They can be shared for scientific or educational purposes. A case report is usually considered as a type of an anecdotal evidence. Due to their inherentmethodological  limitations, i.e.  lack of statistical sampling, case reports are placed at the foot of the grading of clinical evidence. Yet, case reports do have genuinely valuable roles in clinical research and evidence based medicine. In precise, they have facilitated to recognize of new diseases i.e. Ebola, Zika etc.
Clinical trial is much lengthier and resource consuming that a case report, so it is now gaining popularity among clinical researchers. In fact, there is a definite need to further popularize the concept of case reports.With the consonance of case reports, in clinical trials the concept of sample size calculation is rapidly changing.  Such trials are labeled as "n-of-1 or single subject clinical trials." It this  trials, the researcher consider an individual patient as the sole unit of observation in a study. The final goal of this trial is to determine the optimal intervention for an individual patient by using objective driven criteria.Despite their clear appeal and extensive use in educational settings, n-of-1 trials have been used sparingly in medical settings. This is because that n-of-1 trials demand serious attention among the health research and clinical care communities and it is focused on individualized medicine.
Across the globe people live in diverse circumstances. Their lifestyle, culture, health care scenario is different. Case studies/reports(CS/CR) can effectively illustrate these differences through description of experiences pertaining to a specific case. In medical sciences, it is a complete description of an individual patient starting from diagnosis of a disease to follow-up. It may or may not include a patient's complete profile, but generally depicts an uncommon or novel manifestation. CRs are basically professional chronicles that offer an important feedback on treatment guiding principle and offer an outline for early indicators of usefulness, unnatural events and cost-effectiveness. These findings are usually disseminated for scientific or educational purposes. (1)
Most clinical case reports are based on these topics: An unusual relation between diseases or signs, event during the treatment of a patient, results that highlights shed new light on a new mechanism of disease pathogenesis. It may be an antagonistic effect of drugs, uncommon findings of a common disease, exceptional healing approaches or an anatomical variation of human structures.


We aimed to enrich the empirical picture and to better understand the nature of post-communist capitalism in the new EU member states in Central and Eastern Europe (CEE11). Our main research goal is to assess the degree of similarity of the institutional architectures in these countries toward each of the four models of capitalism in Western Europe distinguished by Bruno Amable (2003), represented in our research by one Western European country being the most typical empirical approximation of a particular 'ideal-typical' model. The study is based on the application of a new method designed for the purpose of our research, the coefficients of similarity. Our empirical exercise shows that the CEE11 countries exhibited on average the greatest relative similarity to the Mediterranean model of capitalism, represented by Spain and Italy. At the same time, they also displayed a considerable institutional proximity to the Continental model of capitalism, represented by Germany, and – to a lesser extent – to two remaining benchmarks. These findings may be generalized as the prevalence of a polycentric pattern of institutional similarity of the CEE11 economies to the established models of Western European capitalism which makes the emerging post-communist capitalism a distinct research category and adds to its patchwork nature.


Quality has always been important for the health professions. However, recently the 'pressure' for quality assurance/improvement (QA/I) in the health care arena has increased. All health professions and individual practitioners are expected to be aware of the driving forces behind this increasing 'pressure' for quality to be able to meet the demands for the continuous QA/I. It is particularly important to have a correct understanding of the QA/I process, the shared values, goals and potential benefits of the different QA/I systems and tools, and the associated complexities of implementation of QA/I systems/models in health care.


The Monotest Lactate Kit (MLT) was compared with gas-liquid chromatography (GLC) for the rapid detection of septic arthritis. A total of 36 joint fluids were tested. Specimens were obtained from patients with septic arthritis (17 cases), inflammatory arthritis (18 cases), and degenerative arthritis (1 case). Specimens from 15 patients with bacterial arthritis had lactate levels above 65 mg/dl (mean, 318 mg/dl with the GLC method and 378 mg/dl with the MLT method). Three specimens from patients with gonococcal arthritis had levels that were not above 30 mg/dl (mean, 21 mg/dl with either the GLC or the MLT methods). Patients with inflammatory or degenerative disease yielded levels lower than 65 mg/dl (mean, 48 mg/dl with the GLC method and 46 mg/dl with the MLT method). Both methods proved to be equallly reliable in detecting septic arthritis, except for the gonococcal cases. Both methods are fast and easily adaptable to clinical laboratories; however, MLT was more definitive when quantitation was needed, required less fluid per speciment, and could be readily done at the bedside.


Objective: This research intends to explore the correlation between pavement roughness and vehicle emissions, and classify the pavement roughness based on vehicle emissions and public health impacts.

Method: On-road tests were conducted to measure vehicle emissions by a Portable Emission Measurement System (PEMS), and collect the corresponding pavement roughness by a smartphone application. A total of 19,038 data pairs were collected during 325 km long test routes in the State of Texas. The correlation of the emissions and International Roughness Index (IRI) are analyzed and the roughness was classified into clusters by three pattern recognition algorithms.
Findings: The pavement roughness could be classified into four categories based on the clustering features of emission factors. The average of Normalized Emission Factor (ANEF) started with 0.051 at a level of IRI between 0+ and 1.99 m/km (category A), then dropped to 0.032 with IRI between 1.99 and 3.21 m/km (category B), followed by a slight decline to 0.030 with IRI between 3.21 and 6 m/km (category C). When the IRI was greater than 6 m/km (category D), the ANEF increased to 0.039. Driving on the pavement categorized to C and D may induce higher invehicle noise and driving stress indicated by drivers' higher heart rates.
Conclusion: The relationship between pavement roughness and vehicle emissions is nonlinear. The even smoother (category A) and even rougher (category D) road surfaces may also induce higher vehicle emissions. The proposed categorization of pavement roughness for Texas incorporates the impacts on environment and public health. To minimize the ANEF, the roughness in categories B and C (IRI: 2-6 m/km) is optimal for pavement design. If the impacts on in-vehicle noises and drivers' heart rates are concerned as supplemental factors, category B (IRI: 1.99-3.21 m/km) is the best. Switching a pavement from category A to B, up to 34% of vehicle emissions and fuel consumption could be achieved. This categorization can be used in the design, maintenance, and evaluation of highway pavements, as well as applied to other states and countries with further calibrations of clusters for local specific classification of roughness.


This paper provides a set of stylised facts on the mechanisms through which banking and sovereign distress feed into each other, using a large sample of emerging economies over three decades. We first define "twin crises" as events where banking crises and sovereign defaults combine, and further distinguish between those banking crises that end in sovereign debt crises, and vice-versa. We then assess what differentiates "single" episodes from "twin" ones. Using an event analysis methodology, we study the behaviour around crises of variables describing the balance sheet interconnection between the banking and public sectors, the characteristics of the banking sector, the state of public finances and the macroeconomic context. We find that there are systematic differences between "single" and "twin" crises across all these dimensions. Additionally, we find that "twin" crises are heterogeneous events: taking into account the proper time sequence of crises within "twin" episodes is important for understanding their drivers, transmission channels and economic consequences. Our results shed light on the mechanisms surrounding feedback loops of sovereign and banking stress


Monarch butterflies (Danaus plexippus) are prominent for their annual long-distance migration from North America to its overwintering area in Central Mexico. To find their way on this long journey, they use a sun compass as their main orientation reference but will also adjust their migratory direction with respect to mountain ranges. This indicates that the migratory butterflies also attend to the panorama to guide their travels. Here we studied if non-migrating butterflies - that stay in a more restricted area to feed and breed - also use a similar compass system to guide their flights. Performing behavioral experiments on tethered flying butterflies in an indoor LED flight simulator, we found that the monarchs fly along straight tracks with respect to a simulated sun. When a panoramic skyline was presented as the only orientation cue, the butterflies maintained their flight direction only during short sequences suggesting that they potentially use it for flight stabilization. We further found that when we presented the two cues together, the butterflies register both cues in their compass. Taken together, we here show that non-migrating monarch butterflies can combine multiple visual cues for robust orientation, an ability that may also aid them during their migration. Summary Non-migrating butterflies keep directed courses when viewing a simulated sun or panoramic scene. This suggest that they orient based on multiple visual cues independent of their migratory context.


This report deals with the involvement of public authorities in the training of religious personnel and other relevant staff by exploring the system developed in Greece. The report is organised into three parts: history (1), contemporary law (2) and emerging mechanisms (3). The term 'ecclesiastical education' will be used throughout this report to describe the subject field. By this term we mean educational structures institutionalised by both the Church and the State with the purpose of educating and training prospective religious personnel and accommodating the needs of the Church. As the highly important recent law (L 3432/2006 ) states, "the aim of Ecclesiastical Education is to promote and train the clergy and laymen of the Orthodox Church in Greece so as to raise the level of their education and Christian ethos". In other words, ecclesiastical education mainly, but not exclusively, aims to develop executives for recruitment into various sectors of the Church, on the basis of their specific inclinations and talents, as well as to support those who choose to be appointed priests and become part of the clergy. As will be shown below, ecclesiastical education in Greece was only for a short period of time undertaken by the Church itself, while for most of the modern Greek state's life it has been the State itself that has organised and financed the preparation and training of Orthodox Christian ministers, through a complicated and fluid system. The same does not apply, however, to Muslim ministers, who are educated partly in Greece and partly outside the country.


This paper analyses the long-memory properties of a high-frequency financial time series dataset. It focuses on temporal aggregation and other features of the data, and how they might affect the degree of dependence of the series. Fractional integration or I(d) models are estimated with a variety of specifications for the error term. In brief, we find evidence that a lower degree of integration is associated with lower data frequencies. In particular, when the data are collected every 10 minutes there are several cases with values of d strictly smaller than 1, implying mean-reverting behaviour; however, for higher data frequencies the unit root null cannot be rejected. This holds for all four series examined, namely Open, High, Low and Last observations for the US dollar / British pound spot exchange rate and for different sample periods.


Extracting and analyzing the vast amount of structured tabular data available on the Web is a challenging task and has received a significant attention in the past few years. In this paper, we present the results of our analysis of the contents of a large corpus of over 90 million Web Tables through matching table contents with instances from a public cross-domain ontology such as DBpedia. The goal of this study is twofold. First, we examine how a large-scale matching of all table contents with a knowledge base can help us gain a better understanding of the corpus beyond what we gain from simple statistical measures such as distribution of table sizes and values. Second, we show how the results of our analysis are affected by the choice of the ontology and knowledge base. The ontologies studied include DBpedia Ontology, Schema.org, YAGO, Wikidata, and Freebase. Our results can provide a guideline for practitioners relying on these knowledge bases for data analysis.


With the precise photolithography process and simple screen-printing technique, the double cold cathode structure was fabricated on the cathode plate. The indium tin oxide (ITO) film coated over the cathode plate surface was etched to form bar ITO stripes, which was used as the cathode electrode. The one ITO group was composed of two parallel bar ITO stripes, on which the screen-printed carbon nanotube paste was employed to form the field emitter. The covering layer was also fabricated by the solidified insulation slurry with the pre-determined patterns. The phosphor prepared on the anode plate was utilized to form the panel image. The sealed field emission display panel with double cold cathode structure showed high panel luminous brightness, better field emission characteristics and good emission uniformity.


Exercising is largely believed to reduce the chances of cardiovascular disorders. Many people opt for fatburning workouts to achieve a lean physique while others aim at getting a well-muscled body. The latter being a long and tiring process, pushes many people to opt for various power enhancing drugs, for boosting their athletic endurance and increasing the muscle bulk. We evaluated and compared the effects these drugs have had on, lipid parameters of male subjects. Peripheral blood samples were tested for levels of Total cholesterol, high density lipoproteins, low density lipoproteins, triglycerides and very low density lipoproteins. The results showed that drugs exerted a profound effect on all lipid parameters, suggesting that users are prone to various cardiovascular risks. It is suggested that the widespread usage of such drugs should be discouraged among the youth.


BACKGROUND
The aim of this study was to clarify the characteristics and outcomes of pediatric patients with solid pseudopapillary neoplasms (SPNs) who underwent pancreatectomy.

METHODS
Pediatric patients with SPNs who underwent pancreatectomy at our institution between 1995 and 2020 were included in the study.

RESULTS
During the period under review, 12 patients underwent pancreatectomy for SPNs (median age: 10 years; range: 6-15 years). The surgical procedures included pancreatoduodenectomy (n = 2; 16.6%), distal pancreatectomy (n = 3; 25%), and enucleation (n = 7; 58.3%). The most common postoperative complication was postoperative pancreatic fistula (n = 6; 50%). Patients who underwent enucleation tended to have higher postoperative complication rates compared with those who underwent other procedures. All patients were alive without recurrence at the end of the study period.

CONCLUSIONS
SPN is associated with a good prognosis, regardless of the surgical procedure. If surgeons select enucleation for pediatric SPNs, they should bear in mind that it is associated with a higher complication rate.


When it comes to simultaneous versatility, speed, and specificity in detecting volatile chemicals, biological olfactory systems far outperform all artificial chemical detection devices. Consequently, the use of trained animals for chemical detection in security, defense, healthcare, agriculture, and other applications has grown astronomically. However, the use of animals in this capacity requires extensive training and behavior-based communication. Here we propose an alternative strategy, a bio-electronic nose, that capitalizes on the superior capability of the mammalian olfactory system, but bypasses behavioral output by reading olfactory information directly from the brain. We engineered a brain-machine interface that captures neuronal signals from an early stage of olfactory processing in awake mice, and used machine learning techniques to form a sensitive and selective chemical detector. We chronically implanted a grid electrode array on the surface of the mouse olfactory bulb and systematically recorded responses to a large battery of odorants and odorant mixtures across a wide range of concentrations. The bio-electronic nose has a comparable sensitivity to the trained animal and can detect odors on a variable background. We also introduce a novel genetic engineering approach designed to improve the sensitivity of our bio-electronic nose for specific chemical targets. Our bio-electronic nose outperforms current detection methods and unlocks a wide spectrum of civil, medical and environmental applications.


Women's careers are subject to personal, interpersonal and societal influences of various kinds. From an empiricist point of view, the study was done to get an insight into the various facets of women's careers. The sample of the study consisted of 30 women executives and 30 women non-executives from a private sector organisation. The data were collected through qualitative research techniques. Results indicated that except for women executives of the private sector organisation, the other three gruoups derived primary satisfaction from family relationships with, career integrated with rest of their lives in a secondary way. Women executives of the private sector organisation derived primary satisfaction from their career or occupation. As regards to their levels of ambition, women employees aspired to hold a high position. The results showed that women employees resembled one another closely on 'intrinsic' value of having a reputation for extreme competence in their chosen fields. Women employees felt that their social circles tended to favour that women ought to be able to work a bit, but not so as to allow it to interfere with home and family obligations. Family was perceived as a barrier to a married woman's career commitment. Particularly most of the women employees agreed that husband's career plans interfere with a married woman's career commitment.


Abstract In the present investigation nano basalt epoxy composites have been examined for its possibility in employing new wear resistant material with improved friction and thermo mechanical characteristics. The nanocomposites were fabricated by dispersing (1–5 wt.%) nano basalt particles in epoxy using sonication process. The density, mechanical properties (tensile strength and micro hardness), thermal stability along with friction and wear behavior have been investigated as per ASTM standard. The result shows that all the properties found to be increased with nano basalt content in the thermosetting epoxy matrix. The FESEM studies reveal the homogeneous dispersion of nano basalt (≤3 wt.%) in the epoxy matrix. This uniform dispersion improves the thermomechanical and friction characteristics. The specific wear rate of the nano epoxy composites reinforced with nano basalt particulates exhibits the superior wear-resistance properties. The results reveal that 3 wt.% nano basalt in the epoxy matrix yields maximum improvement in tensile strength, micro hardness, thermal stability, wear resistance and coefficient of friction when compared to other composites subjected to investigation. The excessive addition (>3 wt.%) forms basalt clusters as agglomeration which pull down the frictional and thermo mechanical performance.


The notion of Differentiated Integration is increasingly used in the literature on European integration. Often employed interchangeably with the notion of "flexible integration, diverging views on its nature have led to the emergence of various definitions and, to some extent, a semantic confusion. A lack of consensus characterizes the academic literature; some authors even avoid putting an explicit definition on the term.

The main objective of this book is to seek answers for the following questions: How can one define Differentiated Integration in the European Union? Should Differentiated Integration be considered as a process, a concept, a system or a theory? Should it be seen as a temporary or a well-established phenomenon? How is this field of study likely to develop in the future? In order to do so, all chapters, written by leading experts in the field, offer a state-of-the-art analysis of the study of differentiated integration, from theoretical and practical perspectives. In addition, this book is not a collection of isolated papers: all chapters are interconnected and gravitate towards the aforementioned central questions, but approach these from different perspectives.


The article presents results of study of main factors, which affecting quality of cattle carcass, where quality is defined as carcass grading or classification (class, category, fat cover) result, dressing percentage and meat yield. The classification result is comprised of cattle sex, age and fatness and muscle development - conformation evaluation, additionally to these factors also animal's breed or crossbreed and weight are taken into account. The paper shows analysis of bovine animals dressing percentage, where data acquired by trial method, obtaining dressing percentage of 1,228 carcasses according to cattle population and classification results. The anatomical dissection for obtaining the meat yield and meat yield ratio was done for cattle carcasses (n=118) of different classes and categories. The data were analyzed, using statistical data processing and factorial regression analysis. It was established that the fat class of cattle carcass has the most significant impact on the meat yield and can be considered statistically proven; and dressing percentage and meat yield ratio for male (categories A, B and C) bovine animals is higher than for female (categories D and E) animals. The statistical model for prediction of meat yield is presented.


This paper addresses the issue for filtering noisy contaminated discrete chaotic signals. A modified cubature Kalman filter combined with QR decomposition is proposed for estimating a nonlinear discrete system. Simulation results show the proposed method can effectively reduce noise on discrete chaotic signals. In comparison with other Kalman filters, the proposed method has a better filtering performance in the case of low signal to noise ratios (SNR), and has the similar performance in the case of high SNR. In addition, it is indicated by simulations that the proposed filtering method can also effectively implement chaos-based communication when message signals are modulated by additive chaos masking.


The kinetics of [I-14C]acetate incorporation into the glycerolipids of subcellular fractions during the greening of dark-grown wheat sprouts were studied. Up to 80% of the label were incorporated into neutral lipids in the darkness. The main labelled polar lipids were phosphatidic acid, phosphatidyl choline and phosphatidyl glycerol. The synthesis of the latter two compounds was predominantly coupled with the microsomal fraction. Illumination increased the galactolipid formation in the plastids, particularly that of galactosyldiacylglycerol. The role of phosphatidic acid and phosphatidyl choline as possible precursors of the galactolipid biosynthesis in developing plastids is discussed.


The fusion (F) glycoprotein of respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) induces neutralizing antibodies and antibodies that inhibit fusion of infected cells (FI antibody). It was previously shown that infants and children immunized with Formalin-inactivated RSV 20 years ago developed antibodies that bound to the F glycoprotein but were deficient in neutralizing activity. A reexamination of these sera indicated that they were also deficient in FI activity. Thus, Formalin-inactivated RSV vaccine stimulated an unbalanced immune response in which an unusually large proportion of the induced antibodies were directed against nonprotective epitopes rather than against the epitopes that induce functional antibodies, i.e., neutralizing and FI antibodies. This deficiency in stimulation of functional antibodies probably decreased the protective efficacy of the vaccine and could have contributed to potentiation of disease in the vaccines during subsequent RSV infection.


Background Conflicting data exist regarding the outcomes of primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) for ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) based on intervention timings. It is believed that short staffing at night hours may lead to a lapse in the delivery of effective, efficient and timely medical intervention. Methods A retrospective single-center study was performed, and a total of 436 patients were randomized into two groups. Group A had 279 patients who had the heart catheterization done during the daytime (between 6 am and 6 pm), while group B had 157 patients who had the same intervention performed at night (between 6 pm and 6 am). Results Door to balloon (DTB) time during the day was about 16 min shorter than the DTB time at night (81.29 ± 3.26 vs. 97.30 ± 8.54) with no statistical difference (P = 0.051). The mean troponin rise during the day was 1.94 ± 10.60 SEM (95% confidence interval (CI): -22.70 to 18.90) higher than night troponin levels (71.75 ± 7.18 vs. 69.80 ± 7.18), but P value was 0.85. The left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) fall for daytime was 0.93% vs. 0.90% for night time patients (P = 0.94). Conclusion There is no significant difference in the mean DTB time, the rise in troponin, fall in LVEF, readmission rates, or mortality, and hence no negative effects on patient outcomes based on the patient's time of presentation between the two groups.


This is an empirical study of 7 communities among the O-kun Yoruba of Ijumu, Kogi State, Nigeria. The general objective of the study was to investigate the prioritizing pattern of the various Primary Health Care services (PHC) in the study area. Data for the study were generated mainly through multi-stage sampling technique, by the use of questionnaire administered to 235 respondents randomly selected from the 7 communities under review. The major finding of this study is that there is no uniformity in the ranking of PHC services in most rural communities and that every community will want to opt for a PHC service whose end they are able to see more clearly and utilize more to advantage, among several alternatives. The implication of this finding forms the thrust of this paper for health development. Keywords : Primary health care, participation, ranking, health behaviour, services


Role for Reelin in the Development of Granule Cell Dispersion in Temporal Lobe Epilepsy Haas C, Dudeck O, Kirsch M, Huszka C, Kann G, Pollak S, Zentner J, Frotscher M J Neurosci 2002;22:5797–5802 The reelin signaling pathway plays a crucial role during the development of laminated structures in the mammalian brain. Reelin, which is synthesized and secreted by Cajal–Retzius cells in the marginal zone of the neocortex and hippocampus, is proposed to act as a stop signal for migrating neurons. Here we show that a decreased expression of reelin messenger RNA (mRNA) by hippocampal Cajal–Retzius cells correlates with the extent of migration defects in the dentate gyrus of patients with temporal lobe epilepsy. These results suggest that reelin is required for normal neuronal lamination in humans, and that deficient reelin expression may be involved in migration defects associated with temporal lobe epilepsy.


Antihistamines are known for their sedative effects. However, some studies suggested mild stimulant effects in the case of fexofenadine. The goals of this study are to examine whether fexofenadine possesses stimulating properties and to determine whether such stimulating effects are related to workload. Sixteen healthy volunteers received a single dose of 180 and 360 mg fexofenadine and placebo on separate test days. Drug effects were assessed using a divided attention task (DAT), continuous performance task (CPT) and motor choice reaction time test (MCRT). Sensitivity of the tasks was increased by manipulating the workload during task performance. Event Related brain Potentials (ERPs) were measured in the DAT and CPT to study the underlying neurophysiological processes. An interaction effect of Treatment and Workload was found on tracking performance in the DAT and on movement time in the MCRT. Performance on the DAT was less affected by increments in workload after fexofenadine as compared to placebo. P1 and P3 latency were affected by Treatment Workload and Treatment respectively and indicated faster attentional and information processing latencies following fexofenadine treatment. Treatment did not influence performance in the CPT task or in the ERPs measured during this task. The MCRT demonstrated faster movement times following fexofenadine treatment. These results suggest that although the neurophysiological data indicate central nervous system (CNS) activation after fexofenadine treatment, the magnitude of the centrally activating effects is too small to produce relevant performance improvement at the behavioural level.


Self-control allows an individual to obtain a more preferred outcome by forgoing an immediate interest. Self-control is an advanced cognitive process because it involves the ability to weigh the costs and benefits of impulsive versus restrained behavior, determine the consequences of such behavior, and make decisions based on the most advantageous course of action. Self-control has been thoroughly explored in Old World primates, but less so in New World monkeys. There are many ways to test self-control abilities in non-human primates, including exchange tasks in which an animal must forgo an immediate, less preferred reward to receive a delayed, more preferred reward. I examined the self-control abilities of six capuchin monkeys using a task in which a monkey was given a less preferred food and was required to wait a delay interval to trade the fully intact less preferred food for a qualitatively higher, more preferred food. Partially eaten pieces of the less preferred food were not rewarded, and delay intervals increased on an individual basis based on performance. All six monkeys were successful in inhibiting impulsivity and trading a less preferred food for a more preferred food at the end of a delay interval. The maximum duration each subject postponed gratification instead of responding impulsively was considered their delay tolerance. This study was the first to show that monkeys could inhibit impulsivity in a delay of gratification food exchange task in which the immediate and delayed food options differed qualitatively and a partially eaten less preferred food was not rewarded with the more preferred food at the end of a delay interval. These results show that New World monkeys possess advanced cognitive abilities similar to those of Old World primates.


The predictable shortage of nursing staff, in Switzerland as in the rest of Europe, continues to highlight a recurring problem for public health policy. The issue here relates not just to questions about the care and treatment of patients or the quality of such care, but also about the conditions necessary for adequate staff recruitment and the long-term professional engagement of health care personnel. Training in nursing care at universities of applied sciences in western Switzerland is also indirectly affected by rationalization measures currently in force in the public health sector. The training context affords a valuable opportunity for assessing the tensions between two types of logic: that of professionalization based on the rationality of economics, and that of professional development, understood as the construction of the subject in his/her professional activity. The results of our research demonstrate the existence of fields of tension, encountered by students, between their process of professionalization and their emerging professional development, tensions that also impact on the other pillars of professionalization that are engagement, motivation, and recognition. This qualitative study was based on biographical interviews and an analysis of portfolios, professional projects, and internship reports (evaluation of skills and competences by professionals), with a cohort of forty-three students studying for a bachelor of science in nursing, in their third year of training in Switzerland and Belgium.


Summary Serum contains many growth factors and nutrients that stimulate colony formation of hematopoietic progenitor cells (HPC) in semisolid cultures, In the absence of serum, no proliferation of HPCs could be obtained in semisolid medium cultures of partially purified bone marrow cells in the presence of multiple hematopoietic growth factors, insulin, cholesterol, and purified clinical-grade human albumin. This appeared to be due to a suppressive activity induced by monocyte- and T lymphocyte-depleted accessory cells on CD34 + HPCs. Serum-free conditioned medium from the bladder carcinoma cellline 5637 could replace serum to support the growth of HPCs in these cultures. After gel filtration and reverse-phase high-performance liquid chromatography of 5637 supernatants, this activity could be attributed to a 15-kD protein that was further identified by NH2-terminal sequence analysis as the serine proteinase inhibitor antileukoproteinase (ALP). The growth-supportive activity from the 5637 conditioned medium and the (partially) purified fractions could be completely neutralized by a polyclonal rabbit IgG antibody against human ALP (huALP). Similar supportive effects on the growth of HPC could be obtained in the presence of recombinant huALP. We demonstrated that the COOH-terminal domain of ALP containing the proteinase inhibitory activity was responsible for this effect, o~-1 proteinase inhibitor was capable of similar support of in vitro HPC growth. These results illustrate that proteinase inhibitors play an important role in the in vitro growth of hematopoietic ceils by the neutralization of proteinases produced by bone marrow accessory cells. This may be of particular relevance for in vitro expansion of human hematopoietic stem cells in serum-free media.


Inflammation-mediated, neutrophil-derived hypochlorous acid can damage DNA and result in the chlorination damage products 5-chlorocytosine and 5-chlorouracil as well as the oxidation damage products 5-hydroxycytosine and 5-hydroxyuracil. While 5-chlorocytosine could potentially perturb epigenetic signals if formed at a CpG dinucleotide, the remaining products are miscoding and could result in transition mutations. In this article, we have investigated the reaction of hypochlorous acid with an oligonucleotide site-specifically enriched with 15N to probe the reactivity of cytosine at CpG. These experiments demonstrate directly the formation of 5-chlorocytosine at a CpG dinucleotide in duplex DNA. We observe that chlorination relative to oxidation damage is greater at CpG by a factor of approximately two, whereas similar amounts of 5-chlorocytosine and 5-hydroxycytosine are formed at two non-CpG sites examined. The relative amounts of deamination of the cytosine to uracil derivatives are similar at CpG and non-CpG sites. Overall, we observe that the reactivity of cytosine at CpG and non-CpG sites toward hypochlorous acid induced damage is similar (5-chlorocytosine > 5-hydroxycytosine > 5-hydroxyuracil > 5-chlorouracil), with a greater proportion of chlorination damage at CpG sites. These results are in accord with the potential of inflammation-mediated DNA damage to both induce transition mutations and to perturb epigenetic signals.


Wesley Kingston Whitten (1918–2010) was recognized as one of Australia's most innovative biological scientists. His studies were the precursor of the science of preimplantation embryology and the technology of assisted reproduction. He pioneered the study of mammalian pheromones and their receptor, the vomeronasal organ. He elucidated the genetic basis of hermaphroditism and mosaicism, and the timing and mechanism of X chromosome inactivation. Several of his recombinant mouse strains continue to provide models for a number of diseases.


According to Henri de Lubac's history of medieval exegesis, the fourteenth century marked the tipping point for the disintegration of history and allegory. The Postilla super totam bibliam of the Franciscan Nicholas of Lyra (1270-1349) plays a prominent role in this declension narrative by ceding the "spirit" of interpretation to the separate discipline of theology, and opening the space for critical biblical studies to attain autonomy. But what if Nicholas of Lyra was on the other side of this history? Arguing from the layout of early Postilla manuscripts and the institutional and manuscript culture of the fourteenth century, this article proposes that Nicholas's Postilla represents a vigorous and largely successful attempt to reintegrate Biblical text, historical scholarship, and theological exegesis. Nicholas's approach to the exegetical crises of his own day helps us to reassess the challenges and possibilities of theological exegesis today. © 2012 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.


Background: Mini-abdominoplasty surgery is considered partial because it only targets the area positioned below the navel without requiring transposition of the umbilicus. It is less invasive than classic abdominoplasty and can achieve a more contoured body in a less invasive manner with a smaller scar and shorter recovery time free of major risks and complications. This article presents a technique in which liposuction around the abdomen and flanks, hips, and back is performed as indicated, with resection of the skin above the pubic zone below the navel without detachment of the pedicle. This technique aims for better presentation of the umbilical scar while addressing supraumbilical flaccidity in the abdomen. Methods: Between 2007 and 2010, 24 female patients (aged, 26–55 years) with excess fat in the lower abdomen underwent classic mini-abdominoplasty associated with liposuction. Results: The results were considered satisfactory by both the patients and surgeon. No major complications occurred during surgery or the transoperative period. Conclusions: Mini-abdominoplasty surgery is safe with no severe complications such as infection, pulmonary embolism, and perforation of cavities or skin necrosis. This procedure is effective for the aesthetic treatment of the abdominal region and is easy, fast, and safe to perform.


[1] In this study, the NCAR Thermosphere Ionosphere Mesosphere Electrodynamics General Circulation Model (TIME-GCM) is used to examine short-term changes in the global structure of the migrating and s = 1 nonmigrating semidiurnal tides in a model run approximating the 2002 Southern Hemisphere stratospheric sudden warming. The TIME-GCM is found to resolve an s = 1 nonmigrating semidiurnal tide with latitudinal structure similar to that of prior studies and with global structure in the MLT region strongly correlated with Southern Hemisphere planetary wave 1 (PW1) wave events, prior to equinox. Comparison with a control run with no planetary wave activity, Eliassen-Palm flux, and correlation analysis of the s = 1 semidiurnal tide structure suggest that the wave propagates from the source region in the winter hemisphere stratosphere into both the summer and winter lower thermospheres. The amplitudes of the migrating semidiurnal tide in the Southern Hemisphere are anticorrelated with the nonmigrating tide, suggesting significant energy loss due to nonmigrating tidal generation, a result not previously seen. The amplitude of the s = 1 nonmigrating semidiurnal tide from TIME-GCM is also compared with data from the South Pole meteor radar system. While the observations show bursts of nonmigrating tidal activity correlated to PW1 activity of comparable amplitudes to the model results, these events do not always appear at the same times as those in the model. This suggests that while the processes generating the nonmigrating tide in TIME-GCM are realistic, the TIME-GCM run itself displays differences in time evolution compared to the observations during this time.


Deep machine learning has received significant attention over the past decade, especially in terms of dealing with information that may span large scales. By employing a hierarchical architecture, consisting of simple computational nodes of similar characteristic, such a network helps to partition large data structures into relatively smaller, more manageable units, and to discover any dependencies that may exist between the resulting units. However, the process of running this type of network which has a layered structure, to perform tasks such as feature extraction, and subsequent feature pattern-based recognition, typically involves significant computation. To tackle this problem, two approaches are proposed in this thesis. The first novel approach developed is for image classification, by integrating deep learning and feature interpolation, supported with advanced learning classification techniques. The recently introduced Deep Spatio-Temporal Inference Network (DeSTIN) is employed to carry out limited original feature extraction. Simple interpolation is then employed to artificially increase the dimensionality of the extracted feature sets for accurate classification, without incurring heavy computational cost. The work is tested against the popular MNIST dataset of handwritten digits, demonstrating the potential of the proposed work. The second approach, which is a substantially simplified 2-layer learning network, is introduced that exploits unsupervised learning for pattern representation, capable of extracting effective features efficiently. Experimental results, in comparison with the use of popular deep learning networks, again on the application to handwritten digit classification demonstrate that the proposed approach is of significant potential in dealing with real-world problems. The generation of effective feature pattern-based classification rules from data is essential to the development of intelligent classifiers which are readily comprehensible to the user. Unfortunately, a sparse rule base may be generated when there is missing information in the experienced dataset. This hinders classification systems that work based on such sparse knowledge effectively performing their tasks in many real-world applications, where complete historical data cannot be assumed. This thesis further proposes an innovative approach by integrating fuzzy rule interpolation within a data-driven classification mechanism, such that conclusions can be approximately derived even if no matched rule can be found from a given sparse rule base when given a certain observation. The proposed technique is simple conceptually, directly exploiting the recently developed fuzzy rule interpolation techniques. However, the resulting integrated system offers a powerful means to develop robust classifiers, significantly enhancing the effectiveness of intelligent classification systems, as demonstrated by systematic comparative experimental results and also, by an application to the challenging problem of mammographic risk analysis.


Individuals at ultra-high-risk (UHR) for psychosis have become a major focus for research designed to explore markers for early detection of and clinical intervention in schizophrenia. In particular, structural magnetic resonance imaging studies in UHR individuals have provided important insight into the neurobiological basis of psychosis and have shown the brain changes associated with clinical risk factors. In this review, we describe the structural brain abnormalities in magnetic resonance images in UHR individuals. The current accumulated data demonstrate that abnormalities in the prefrontal and temporal cortex and anterior cingulate cortex occur before illness onset. These regions are compatible with the regions of structural deficits found in schizophrenia and first-episode patients. In addition, the burgeoning evidence suggests that such structural abnormalities are potential markers for the transition to psychosis. However, most findings to date are limited because they are from cross-sectional rather than longitudinal studies. Recently, researchers have emphasized neurodevelopmental considerations with respect to brain structural alterations in UHR individuals. Future studies should be conducted to characterize the differences in the brain developmental trajectory between UHR individuals and healthy controls using a longitudinal design. These new studies should contribute to early detection and management as well as provide more predictive markers of later psychosis.


This thesis studies statistical inference in the high energy physics unfolding problem, which is an ill-posed inverse problem arising in data analysis at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) at CERN. Any measurement made at the LHC is smeared by the finite resolution of the particle detectors and the goal in unfolding is to use these smeared measurements to make nonparametric inferences about the underlying particle spectrum. Mathematically the problem consists in inferring the intensity function of an indirectly observed Poisson point process. Rigorous uncertainty quantification of the unfolded spectrum is of central importance to particle physicists. The problem is typically solved by first forming a regularized point estimator in the unfolded space and then using the variability of this estimator to form frequentist confidence intervals. Such confidence intervals, however, underestimate the uncertainty, since they neglect the bias that is used to regularize the problem. We demonstrate that, as a result, conventional statistical techniques as well as the methods that are presently used at the LHC yield confidence intervals which may suffer from severe undercoverage in realistic unfolding scenarios. We propose two complementary ways of addressing this issue. The first approach applies to situations where the unfolded spectrum is expected to be a smooth function and consists in using an iterative bias-correction technique for debiasing the unfolded point estimator obtained using a roughness penalty. We demonstrate that basing the uncertainties on the variability of the bias-corrected point estimator provides significantly improved coverage with only a modest increase in the length of the confidence intervals, even when the amount of bias-correction is chosen in a data-driven way. We compare the iterative bias-correction to an alternative debiasing technique based on undersmoothing and find that, in several situations, bias-correction provides shorter confidence intervals than undersmoothing. The new methodology is applied to unfolding the Z boson invariant mass spectrum measured in the CMS experiment at the LHC. The second approach exploits the fact that a significant portion of LHC particle spectra are known to have a steeply falling shape. A physically justified way of regularizing such spectra is to impose shape constraints in the form of positivity, monotonicity and convexity. Moreover, when the shape constraints are applied to an unfolded confidence set, one can regularize the length of the confidence intervals without sacrificing coverage. More specifically, we form shape-constrained confidence intervals by considering all those spectra that satisfy the shape constraints and fit the smeared data within a given confidence level. This enables us to derive regularized unfolded uncertainties which have by construction guaranteed simultaneous finite-sample coverage, provided that the true spectrum satisfies the shape constraints. The uncertainties are conservative, but still usefully tight. The method is demonstrated using simulations designed to mimic unfolding the inclusive jet transverse momentum spectrum at the LHC.


Purpose: To determine the incidence of rebound macular edema after intravitreal bevacizumab in eyes with macular edema secondary to branch retinal vein occlusion and to identify the pretreatment factors that were significantly associated with the rebound. Methods: The changes in the foveal thickness after the intravitreal bevacizumab (1.25 mg/0.05 mL) were studied in 65 eyes of 65 patients with macular edema secondary to branch retinal vein occlusion. A rebound of macular edema was defined as a ≥110% increase in the foveal thickness or a foveal thickness ratio of ≥110% (foveal thickness at the recurrence/foveal thickness at the baseline × 100). Multivariate logistic regression analyses and subgroup analyses were performed to determine which pretreatment factors were associated with the rebound. Results: Seven of 65 eyes (10.8%) showed a rebound (≥110% of baseline thickness). Subgroup analyses showed that a thinner pretreatment fovea and a shorter interval between symptom onset to the initiation of the intravitreal bevacizumab were significantly associated with a rebound of macular edema (P < 0.01). The interval from symptoms onset to the initiation of treatment was <8 weeks in all 7 eyes with a rebound macular edema. Conclusion: These results suggest that a rebound of macular edema in eyes with branch retinal vein occlusion was more likely to occur when the intravitreal bevacizumab therapy is initiated before the macular edema reaches the maximum level. Rebound of macular edema may be effectively avoided by waiting at least 8 weeks after the onset of symptoms to begin the intravitreal bevacizumab.


The TTC subway was built in 1949 to resolve the traffic issues of that era, issues that have only since intensified. At the time, any underground transportation system was an impressive accomplishment in design, engineering, construction, and city planning. Today, those same accomplishments—left to stagnate, age, and become overburdened—have become outdated and—measured against contemporary designs—sometimes even ridiculed. As the TTC continues trying to expand its infrastructure to meet the demands of a growing urban population, its progress leaves much to be desired—past decisions made without the foresight of urbanization, globalization, and technological innovation are being revealed to be inadequate. What we are left with is a face lift and hair extensions for a transit system that actually needs a brain transplant and genetic modification. But while this Major Research Project acknowledges the infrastructural inadequacies of Toronto's TTC metro system, the focus here will specifically be on the TTC's transit maps, branding, and graphic design which itself, I will argue, has not aged gracefully and is in serious need of an update—one that responds to and satisfies the needs of today's mobile, increasingly design-savvy, and digitally connected citizens.

Keywords: subway, map, representation, branding, wayfinding


ABSTRACT Ebola virus (EBOV) disease (EVD) results from an exacerbated immunological response that is highlighted by a burst in the production of inflammatory mediators known as a "cytokine storm." Previous reports have suggested that nonspecific activation of T lymphocytes may play a central role in this phenomenon. T-cell immunoglobulin and mucin domain-containing protein 1 (Tim-1) has recently been shown to interact with virion-associated phosphatidylserine to promote infection. Here, we demonstrate the central role of Tim-1 in EBOV pathogenesis, as Tim-1−/− mice exhibited increased survival rates and reduced disease severity; surprisingly, only a limited decrease in viremia was detected. Tim-1−/− mice exhibited a modified inflammatory response as evidenced by changes in serum cytokines and activation of T helper subsets. A series of in vitro assays based on the Tim-1 expression profile on T cells demonstrated that despite the apparent absence of detectable viral replication in T lymphocytes, EBOV directly binds to isolated T lymphocytes in a phosphatidylserine–Tim-1-dependent manner. Exposure to EBOV resulted in the rapid development of a CD4Hi CD3Low population, non-antigen-specific activation, and cytokine production. Transcriptome and Western blot analysis of EBOV-stimulated CD4+ T cells confirmed the induction of the Tim-1 signaling pathway. Furthermore, comparative analysis of transcriptome data and cytokine/chemokine analysis of supernatants highlight the similarities associated with EBOV-stimulated T cells and the onset of a cytokine storm. Flow cytometry revealed virtually exclusive binding and activation of central memory CD4+ T cells. These findings provide evidence for the role of Tim-1 in the induction of a cytokine storm phenomenon and the pathogenesis of EVD. IMPORTANCE Ebola virus infection is characterized by a massive release of inflammatory mediators, which has come to be known as a cytokine storm. The severity of the cytokine storm is consistently linked with fatal disease outcome. Previous findings have demonstrated that specific T-cell subsets are key contributors to the onset of a cytokine storm. In this study, we investigated the role of Tim-1, a T-cell-receptor-independent trigger of T-cell activation. We first demonstrated that Tim-1-knockout (KO) mice survive lethal Ebola virus challenge. We then used a series of in vitro assays to demonstrate that Ebola virus directly binds primary T cells in a Tim-1–phosphatidylserine-dependent manner. We noted that binding induces a cytokine storm-like phenomenon and that blocking Tim-1–phosphatidylserine interactions reduces viral binding, T-cell activation, and cytokine production. These findings highlight a previously unknown role of Tim-1 in the development of a cytokine storm and "immune paralysis." IMPORTANCE Ebola virus infection is characterized by a massive release of inflammatory mediators, which has come to be known as a cytokine storm. The severity of the cytokine storm is consistently linked with fatal disease outcome. Previous findings have demonstrated that specific T-cell subsets are key contributors to the onset of a cytokine storm. In this study, we investigated the role of Tim-1, a T-cell-receptor-independent trigger of T-cell activation. We first demonstrated that Tim-1-knockout (KO) mice survive lethal Ebola virus challenge. We then used a series of in vitro assays to demonstrate that Ebola virus directly binds primary T cells in a Tim-1–phosphatidylserine-dependent manner. We noted that binding induces a cytokine storm-like phenomenon and that blocking Tim-1–phosphatidylserine interactions reduces viral binding, T-cell activation, and cytokine production. These findings highlight a previously unknown role of Tim-1 in the development of a cytokine storm and "immune paralysis."


The implementation of the obligations resulting from the Act on electromobility and alternative fuels forces local government units to pro-vide transport services in public collective transport with the use of low- and zero-emission buses. Zamość, as a city with more than 50,000 inhabitants, is obliged to purchase zero-emission rolling stock, which is connected with the analysis of network reorganization and the choice of shaping new transport bundles in the city. Despite the fact that MZK Zamość owns a fleet of low-emission vehicles (powered by CNG), it is obliged to purchase an appropriate number of zero-emission buses (e.g. e-buses). The article presents by means of SWOT analysis the strengths and weaknesses as well as opportunities and threats resulting from the change in the adaptation of the transport network of the city of Zamość to the legal conditions concerning electromobility and low-carbon buses.


Parametric partial dierential equations are commonly used to model physical systems. They also arise when Wiener chaos expansions are used as an alternative to Monte Carlo when solving stochastic elliptic problems. This paper considers a model class of second order, linear, parametric, elliptic PDEs in a bounded domain D with coecients depending on possibly countably many parameters. It shows that the dependence of the solution on the parameters in the diusion coecient is analytically smooth. This analyticity is then exploited to prove that under very weak assumptions on the diusion coecients, the entire family of solutions to such equations can be simultaneously approximated by multivariate polynomials (in the parameters) with coecients taking values in the Hilbert space V = H 1 0(D) of weak solutions of the elliptic problem with a controlled number of terms N. The convergence rate in terms of N does not depend on the number of parameters in V which may be countable, therefore breaking the curse of dimensionality. The discretization of the coecients from a family of continuous, piecewise linear Finite Element functions in D is shown to yield finite dimensional approximations whose convergence rate in terms of the overall number Ndof of degrees of freedom is the minimum of the convergence rates aorded by the best N-term sequence approximations in the parameter space and the rate of Finite Element approximations in D for a single instance of the parametric problem.


The rise of open access, locally-hosted undergraduate journals over the past few years has been significant, providing students with valuable opportunities to disseminate knowledge, and gain experience in academic publishing and peer review. These journals often tend to publish erratically, however, due in part to student-run editorial boards that experience frequent turnover given the nature of undergraduate commitments and time constraints. Drawing on recent initiatives at two Alberta universities, this session will highlight ways that library services in partnership with other campus partners can provide technical support, editorial guidance, and the infrastructure necessary to form communities of practice among and within student-led editorial boards to help create and maintain high-quality, sustainable open access student journals. Participants will also be asked to consider ways that the PKP community might come together to enhance support for such journals in line with publishing best practices and content discoverability.